A processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a large-scale integrated (LSI) circuit employs a method of reducing an oxygen concentration in the processing apparatus or an oxygen concentration in a pod transferred to the processing apparatus so as to suppress a natural oxide film from being formed on a substrate to be processed (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-61156).
However, the processing apparatus is not capable of improving a manufacturing quality or throughput of a semiconductor device while suppressing formation of a natural oxide film as required in latest micro-fabrication technologies.